Metallic tie.



L; J. RIEGLER.

METALLIGTIE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. s, 1912.

1,043,727, Patented Nov. 5, 1912 In ven Zor:

COLUMBIA PLANOORAPH $0., WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUTS J. RIEGLER, 01? BEN AVON, PENNSYLVANIA.

, METALLIC TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed February 3, 1912; Serial No. 675,219.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs J. RIEGLER, a.

Heretofore, with metal ties of the [beam type or section, as shown in Figure '5, the tamping has all been done against the bottom surface of the bottom flange and the'ties lie on the tamped surface without being embedded in the ballast, so that the tie can easily be moved forward or back, as the thin edge of the bottom flange easily shears through the ballast, and even though the ballast is filled in between the ties and level with their tops the resistance to movement is only slightly increased because the ballast so disposed is forced'upwardand resists,

movement of the tie only by its weight by reason of therebeing nothing against which it can abut. The ballast is therefore easily dislodged. To bend the edges of thebottom flange of the tiedown as has been done-in some cases adds nothing to the stability ofthe tie as regards its embedding qualities, as the action is the same as above, but it greatly increases the difiiculty of tamping. Other designs of metal ties withsharp cor 11ers at the bottom flange or evenvsawed wood ties are subject to the same objections,

' z. 6., their stability is limited tothe weight of the ballast above the lower edge of the tie and to the friction between the bottom surface of the tie and the ballast. The slewing of ties has the effect of tightening the gage and throwing the track out of line,

and slewed ties slip off the ballast that has been tamped onto untamped ballast and thereby materially affect the surface of the track, causing it to become rough and uneven, to increase the track labor necessary to proper maintenance and tending toward a decrease in the life of track material.

All double track and some single track has a tendency to creep, and the prevention of creeping is accomplished by anchoring the rails to the ties through splice bars and by other devices, so that it is necessary that the ties themselves be anchored or embedded in the ballast in order thatthey may be able'to restrain the "movement of the rails,

or ot-herwise'the costv and difficulty of main taining the track will be greatly increased.

One of the important functions ofcrossties is to transmit the loads imposed upon them to theballast, through which they are carried to the sub-grade, and with the present form of track construction flat bottomed ties with sharp. corners transmit the pressure nearly vertically through, the ballast to the sub-grade so thatthe pressure is not distributed uniformly onthe sub-grade, the unit pressure near the middle of thet-ies is much greater than at the edges of the ties, and this unit pressure decreases in the spaces between the ties. With present day practice in tie spacing and ballast depth there is a space midway between the ties that carries no load whatever, the entire load being carried by the sub-grade immediately under and for a short distance on each side of the ties. This unequal distribution results in depressing the sub-grade under. the ties, which I forces it up in the spaces between the ties and causes it to mix with the ballast. This isfurtheraggravated by water collecting in such depressions, which will soften the subgrade at thatpoint and thereby make it all the more liable to be further depressed. The results are increased labor necessary to properly maintain the tracks.

The unequal unit pressure can be made more nearly uniform by increasing the number of ties or by increasing the depth of the ballast, but both methods are costly and unsatisfactory. The first method means increased cost for ties and more difiiculty in tamping, while the second method is extravagant, as a very large increase in the volume of ballast results in only a small reduction ofunit pressure The object of my invention is to overcome these difliculties and objections and to so form the ties that they will be prevented from slewing, will be anchored securely in after more specifically set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims.

To enable others skilled in the art to which my invention appertains to construct and use my improved metallic railway tie,

I will describe the same more fully, referring to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of a railroad track showing my improved ties applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a side View of one of the ties. Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the same. Fig. 5 is an enlarged crosssection of the tie. Fig. 4: is a side elevation of a track having ordinary I-beams for ties.

Like symbols of reference herein indicate like parts in each of the figures of thedrawing.

As illustrated in the drawing, 0 represents ballast resting on the sub-grade b, and 1 is my improved metallic railway tie rest-ing upon said ballast and carrying the rails c of the tracks secured across the same in the usual approved manner.

The tie 1 being substantially an I-beam section or structure is provided with the top bearing plate 2, upon which the track rails 0 rest and are secured, and such plate is formed by two horizontal flange portions 3, each of which extends out from the top of and on each side of the vertical web 4: of the tie connected to said plate. Connected to the bottom of the web 4 is the bottom or base plate 5 for resting on the ballast a, and the bottom face of said plate is adapted to have said ballast conform thereto, said plate being formed of two flanges 6, each of which extends out from each side of said web 4. These flanges 6 are curved upwardly and the convex bottom face in forming the base plate 5 and said flanges can be formed on any desired radius, while the upper faces of such flanges are also curved upwardly from the web 4 and preferably on a greater radius than that of the bottom face of the same in order to make such flanges slightly tapered toward their rounded outer edges 7.

The entire tie is rolled from a single or one piece of metal in the usual manner with the flanges 6 formed in a horizontal position, and afterward the flanges 6 are curved up by the rolling or other processes from such horizontal positions in the usual manner.

It will thus be seen that when my improved metallic railway tie is in position in the track the pressure is transmitted to the ballast normally to the curved sides of thebottom plate on the tie, and such pressure is thereby spread out over a greater area of the sub-grade, thus reducing the unit pressure and causing a more uniform distribution by reason of such curved sides acting as a wedge on said ballast. The curved bottom face of the ties and curved up extensions or flanges on said face will also prevent slewing of the ties, will more securely anchor them in the ballast, as well as greatly facilitate the tamping of the ties, and at the same time to cause the ties to be embedded properly.

The ties cannot be moved forward or backward, as to do so it is necessary that the ballast be forced down against the sub-grade, and as the ballast is supported by the sub-grade it, therefore, cannot be dislodged.

Various other modifications and changes in the design and. construction of my improved metallic railway tie may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or sacrificing any of its advantages. v

WVhat I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is- 1. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web and a base plate connected thereto, said base plate having a single continuous upwardly curved bottom surface.

2. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web and a base plate connected thereto, said base plate having a single continuous bottom surface and being concave to said web.

3. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web and a base plate connected thereto, said base plate having a single continuous upwardly curved bottom surface, and having the side edges thereof upwardly curved therefrom.

4. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web and a base plate connected thereto, said base plate having a single continuous bottom surface and being concave to said web, and having the side edges thereof upwardly curved therefrom.

5. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web and a base plate connected thereto at its center, said base plate having a single continuous upwardly curved bottom surface.

6. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web, and a base plate connected thereto at its center, said base plate having a single continuous bottom surface and being concave to said web.

7. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web, and a base plate connected thereto at its center, said base plate having a single continuous upwardly curved bottom surface, and having the side edges thereof upwardly curved therefrom.

8. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web, and a base plate connected thereto at its center, said base plate having a single continuous bottom surface and being concave to said web, and having the side edges thereof upwardly curved therefrom.

9. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web, a bearing plate connected thereto at its upper edge, and a base plate connected to said web at its lower edge, said base plate having a single continuous upwardly curved bottom surface.

10. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web, a bearing plate connected thereto at its upper edge, and a base plate connected to said web at its lower edge, said base plate having a single continuous bottom surface and being concave to said web.

11. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web, a bearing plate connected thereto at its upper edge, and a base plate connected to said web at its lower edge,

said base plate having a single continuous upwardly curved bottom surface and having the side edges thereof upwardly curved therefrom.

12. A metallic railway tie having a single vertical web, 'a bearing plate connected thereto at its upper edge, and a base plate connected to said web at its lower edge, said base plate having a single continuous bottom surface and being concave to said web and having the side edges thereof upwardly curved therefrom.

In testimony whereof, I, the said LoUIs J. RIEGLER, have hereunto set my hand.

Witnesses T. B. HUMPHRIES, J. N. CooKn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

LOUIS J. RIEGLER. 

